YEREVAN. – Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s response to the Russian-American pressures to resume Karabakh talks was made earlier than expected, according to Haykakan Zhamanak (Armenian Times) newspaper.

“According to tradition, Sargsyan, on Saturday visited the participants in the Baze [(Falcon)] Pan-Armenian Youth Gathering [in Tsakhkadzor].

“The campers asked the president of the republic as to how true are the rumors that the matter of deployment of peacekeepers in Artsakh [Nagorno-Karabakh] was discussed during his [recent] meeting with the Russian president.

‘“We haven’t held discussions not only in terms of peacekeeping forces, but we haven’t held discussions at all [he responded],’ reported Armenpress [news agency].

“What is Serzh Sargsyan saying? He is saying that during the meeting with the RF [Russian Federation] president, he himself spoke about the Karabakh issue, and in fleeting, in that. (…). This statement by Sargsyan means that it does not matter what the RF president has said.

“Sargsyan made yet another important statement. He said Armenia will sign the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement with EU.

“[But] he is conducting political trade with the RF regarding [whether to ultimately sign] this document,” wrote Haykakan Zhamanak.